Spray head for fluid receptacles



March 20, 19 51 I COOPER 2,545,991

SPRAY HEAD FOR FLUID RECEPTACLES Filed June 6, 1945 .s'zi fl L141: m.COc:pez' Urn/ember E I Clbuorrzeq Patented Mar. 20, 1951 SPRAY HEAD -FOR FLUID RECEPTACIJES Lyle M. Cooper, Rahway, N. 11., assig-nor to Stand- .ard Oil Development Company, acorporation .of Delaware Application Junefi, 19'15,".Serial'No. 5973,16?

1-Claim. i1

Thiseinvention relates to spray heads for fluid :receptacles, and more particularly toa combination closure and spray device for receptacles such :as- :metal flasks and bottles containing efluids "-undergaseous pressure.

'Qftentimes it is necessary to have combination closure and'dispensing device for containers ntfiuids under gaseous pressure. Many such devices-have been devised for siphon bottles, vials, kegs, and similar -type receptacles for liquids such aasaerated waters'andxspiritous liquids. -A different -:fo.rm of closure and dispensing device is, however, necessary for use in the extensive i-field of insecticide fluids. In this field, the efficiency :ofthe insecticide liquid isdependent upon the size-of the droplets .inithe spray emitted from the dispensing device. .The -eff'ectiveness of an in- .secticide spray when dispersed throughout the atmosphere depends to a considerable extent for its lethal efiect onthe-size of the particles and the number present per unit volume .of- :atmos- .phere treated asregards the effect upon insects. The device of the present invention is particularly-concernedwith acornbination closure and spraying device for receptacles containing insecticide liquids whichdepend for their ei fective- .ness upon a certain degree of -mist development produced by spraying. The device, however, has also more general application.

The device-of the present invention purposes -to the a combination closure and spraying device for containers normally sun-plied in a sealed cond-ition'ini which the portion of the duct member of the. device designed to penetrate the-sealing .;member preparatory to discharging thecontents through theinozzleand after which the spraying can Joe interrupted I at will without undue loss of fluid pressure, that is, with substantially -mere operating loss of fluid pressure.

The device of this invention also purposes to "facilitate the discharge of fluid under pressure -=a's:a mist -or-spra-y from a container with a minimum :loss of container pressure by utilizing in -;'combination with a closure means for the container a spraying device having "a nozzleportion adapted to penetrate the normal sealing means *zfor the containerby means of an easily controllable external mechanism.

"means zofixa penetrating element having :a base largerwthantthe'itiibe element, attached basally and immediately before said attached elementahe,ztnhaisxproyidedwith side. wallports.

. '2 These; ports arelocated close enough to the penetrating element so that they will be within .a somewhat elastic bushing or washer surrounding the tube, when at the same time the base of the penetrating element will be in contact with the end surface of the bushing, the relationships in general formingadouble seal against passage of gas or :liquid until the tubular element is moved axially so that the penetrating element .is made to lose contact with .the .bushing and the ports .-will *be exposed "to thespace below the bushing .and thus-permit eXilLO'I flow of the contents. The same bushing is utilized as aseal between the valve :body or .capand. .the container nozzle. The

apex or point ofthe penetrating element also is made sharp and hard enough so as .to .be the means of penetrating a thin-sealing devicein the container nozzle when the present device is at- 'ta'ched thereto and the tube memberisdepressed by pressure applied to the top leg of thespring member. The penetrating element is commonly either an inverted metal .cone or pin structure .on

a circular base. Also, the design may include an orifice fitting for the free end of the tubular :member so as to determine the characteristics of the mist or spray effluent from the spray head. order that theinvention may .be-more .fully understood, the following description and illus- --tration of a specific embodiment of a device .ac-

cording to the invention will be presented. vIigure 1 presentsasectional drawing of the general :formcf aspray' head designed-according to the invention. Figure 2 is .a section along the line .2-'-2 :of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a sectional view of of 1:0 :and'threads 14 are CllfitiIltO the cylindrical surface :formed --by the opening for the purpose of attaching to the nozzle of a container. A smaller opening or hole 1-5 is projecte through the remaining portion of 10, on the cylindrical axis aof same and serves as a bearing hole for the tubular plunger lor valve stem .21],

iwhicmmay be'lformed from .a heavy walled ,caplltube. :of any suitable material, preferably zmetalilheztube 1-!) should be bent somewhat .as

shown at a right angle to the cylindrical axis of the valve so that in normal use the end of the tube will discharge into a horizontal plane. At the bottom end of 2G a solid sharp-pointed conical piece of metal 22 is connected thereto by means of a small centrally disposed depression or hole 24 in same, into which tube 26 is inserted and permanently secured by sweating, brazing or by means of threads. The diameter of the base of the conical piece 22 should be somewhat greater than that of the tube 2! The point must be sharp enough and hard enough and the cone should be of suitable length to readily penetratea thin metal diaphragm which is usually utilized as an hermetic seal in the nozzle duct of dispensing containers such as are contemplated being used in connection with the present device, when the latter is attached thereto and the stem or plunger is depressed. Two holes or ports 26 are drilled through the wall of tube 2E slightly above the joint between the base of cone 22 and tube 20.

An elastic washer or packing ring 30, preferably of rubber, having a hole at its center of the proper siZe to form a snug sliding fit with tube 20, is assembled around the latter and into the bottom of the opening i2 as shown, so that it forms a liquid and gas tight seal in conjunction with the base of cone 22 and at the same time facts as a liquid and gas tight bushing to close off the ports 26 in tube 2i), when the latter is held in the upward position shown. When the tube 29 is sufliciently depressed, in a downward direction, the sealing contact between 22 and 30 is broken and the ports will be exposed to the lower interior part of the valve to permit flow of liquid therefrom. A further function of washer 3c is to act as a seal or gasket against which the top edge of the dispensing container nozzle will project when the device is attached to the latter for operation, thus preventing leakage of the container contents.

As a means of operating the valve plunger or stem 20 and also to maintain the valve in a closed position when not in use, there is provided a generally flat strap of spring sheet metal '45 which is bent into the general form of horizontally elongated letter 0, which is permanently attached preferably by welding or brazing to the body I a. A slot 42 large enough to clear tube 20, is provided in the end of the lower leg. In ,addition. tabs .4 in the upper leg are formed by punching from 46 in such a way that they may, in the valve assembly, be bent around the tube 20 to secure the latter to the former, not rigidly but sufiiciently to impart without binding, a vertical motion to 28 when 4!. is depressed and then allowed to return to its assembled position, the spring piece 49. being assembled so that it is in a state of tension tending to withdraw tube 28 from the body H! but prevented from doing so by virtue of the compressive reaction of washer 39 against the conical piece 22. Also ,a slot or hole 46 is provided in the bent portion ,of 40 and through which the tube 20 is made to project, thus maintaining a fixed direction of spray discharge with respect to the valve operating spring lever 40. A The top leg of 40 is projected a sufficient distance from the vertical axis of the valve to be efliciently utilized as a lever for operating the f'valve when pressure as by the operators finger, is applied thereto in a vertically downward direction. The top'leg of 40 in cross section is curved concave upwards 48, toward the edges in order to impart rigidity for efiicient use as a lever and to more or less conform to the shape of the operators finger.

The general function of the spring piece 40 is to hold the component parts 20, 22, and 30 in a doubly sealing liquid and gas tight relationship until, when depressed as by the operators finger, the relationship is changed, permitting liquid or gas to flow from an attached container, through the ports 25, thence through tube 20 to the atmosphere.

Another version of the device is shown in Figure 3 which is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the exit end of the discharge tube which, in this case, may if desired have a larger bore or duct than usual in the previous case and having attached at its discharge end an orifice fitting 59 attached thereto by soldering, welding, cementing or threads, as shown, which consists of a cup-shaped piece of metal, plastic or other suitable material having an opening 52 through the center point in its bottom. The edge of this opening is beveled or chamfered at an angle of 30 to 45 inclination to the axis of the opening and on the inside or upstream side of the cup. The diameter of the orifice opening should be .010 to .020 inch, and preferably LOFT-3.003 inch, this having been found to produce the most desirable type of spray when utilized with the general type and proportions of fluid ingredients as specified in the preceding description of these devices.

What is claimed is: 1' Y A dispensing closure cap for a fluid containe nozzle, and valve means therefor, comprising 'a cup-shaped, interiorly threaded cap body adapted for engagement over an exteriorly threaded container nozzle, a thickened top portion on said cap, a tubular passageway extended concentrically through said top portion opening at one end interiorly of said cap, a disc seal of a resilient compressible material interiorly of said cap seating against said top portion and adapted to provide a fluid and pressure tight seal between said cap and nozzle when the cap is applied thereto, a passageway through said disc seal concentric with that in said cap top portion, a dispensing tube. having an inner end portion slidably extended through the passageways in said cap top portion and disc seal, in closely fitted relation to the latter and terminating within said cap in spaced relation beyond said disc, and an outer end portion in substantially right angular relation to said inner end portion and extended radially beyond the cap, a closure element for the inner end of said tube, including a seal perforating extension thereof, said element extending radially beyond the tube end, forming a shouldered portion seatable against said disc peripherally of the passageway therethrough, at least one inlet port opening through the tube wall in spaced relation to said closure element and normally disposed within the passageway through said disc seal, and a J-shaped tension spring element afiixed by its shorter leg portion to the outer surface of said cap top portion and by the longer leg portion attached to the outer end portion of said tube, the outer end portion extending outwardly through a slot in the base between said spring element end portions, said spring element being held under slight compression between said cap and tube'outer 'end'portion, whereby tension of the spring element tends to withdraw the tube: inneriiend portion through said passageways to engage the closure element shouldered portion against said disc, compressing the disc to seal the inlet ports in said tube and sealing the'tube jend therein, said spring element being compressible to extend the tube slidably through saidcap andrseal passageways, relieving the sealing relationship between said closure, seal, and tube, and exposing the inlet ports beyond said seal.

LYLE M. COOPER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 529,221 Wagner Nov. 13, 1894 805,474 Lavertine Nov. 28, 1905 1,230,290 Geiger June 19, 1917 Number 15 Number France Nov. 7, 1931 

